Mumbai harbour link project again fails to attract bidders

The Rs 9,360-crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) failed for a third time on Monday to attract any bidders.

"MMRDA has not received a single bid for the project," Dilip Kawathkar, joint project director of the state-run Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), to whom bids were to be filed, told Business Standard.

Monday was the last day for filing technical and financial bids. IRB Infrastructure, one of the shortlisted bidders, had last week decided to withdraw from the bidding, citing bad experiences while working on some infrastructure projects in Maharashtra.

IRB chief Virendra Mhaiskar, in a letter to MMRDA last week, had said, "We deeply regret to inform you that we are unable to participate in the bidding process of the project and the reasons are beyond the boundaries of this project. Unfortunately, the experience which we have had in one of the infrastructure projects in Maharashtra, in the city of Kolhapur, has shattered our confidence to invest in the urban infrastructure projects, especially in the state of Maharashtra."

Four other shortlisted bidders - Cintra-Soma-Srei, Gammon-OHL Concessions-GS Engineering, GMR-L & T Ltd-Samsung, Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd-Autostrade-Vinci Concessions - also went the IRB way on Monday by not filing their bids to MMRDA. But MMRDA has vowed to go ahead with the project. "The MMRDA, in consultation with the state government, would develop the MTHL project," Kawathkar said.

A government official said bidders prefer to stay away from the project in view of policy and regulatory uncertainty, hurdles in land acquisition, opposition from political parties and various organisations in toll collection. Besides, companies were reluctant to take major risks, considering the huge requirement of finances.

The official said MMRDA might carry out project development through cash transfer or on an annuity basis.

MTHL envisions connecting South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai directly via Mumbai Harbour. It was tendered in 2008 when Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani-led companies had separately submitted their tenders, which were scrapped. Subsequently, MTHL was re-tendered for the second time in 2009, but did not receive enough response. Thereafter, the project was tendered again last year and five bidders were short listed by the MMRDA.